St. Paul's APM receives $1.5 million for investigative journalism on radio

American Public Media will oversee a new investigative journalism initiative, funded largely through a $1.5 million grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

APM, which is based in St. Paul, will work with Southern California Public Radio, Kansas City Public Media, New York Public Radio and Public Broadcasting Atlanta to produce stories over the next two years.

Chris Worthington, who ran Minnesota Public Radio's newsroom for nine years and was managing editor of the St. Paul Pioneer Press before that, will serve as editor-in-chief of the project.

"A healthy democracy needs investigative journalism," Worthington said in a statement. "Without it, the powerful go unchecked and the voiceless have no voice. The initiative strengthens public media's role in the Fourth Estate at a time when trusted, fact-based news is more important than ever."